Films Analysis Essay on Rear Window and Citizen Kane

Introduction

The two films in comparison are Rear Window and Citizen Kane, which were produced in 1954 and 1941 respectively. The two are mystery films that capture the human curiosity of the twentieth century and show the way people get concerned with the lives of others. The life of Jeff in the film 'The Rear Window' changed after he remained in his wheelchair after breaking his leg and he can no longer mingle freely with the rest of the world. The analysis of the life of Jess as seen in the film shows the life of a miserable man who cannot have the joy he had in life before. Charles Foster Kane in the film 'Citizen Kane' is in a similar life of misery and as seen at the beginning of the film, he remains distressed at his deathbed. The two films have a common mysterious and thrilling genre and it is easy to connect the life of the main actors in both films to their desires and failures. The thesis of the two films is that the characters are affected by voyeurism and they want to be part of the lives of others.

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Voyeurism is evident in the life of Jeff as he sits and observes his neighbors as they go on with their life. The mystery of his past life and the feeling of boredom and isolation make Jeff concerned with the lives of others and this helps him to forget his life challenges (Bullerjahn 22). Jeff observes the lives of Miss Torso, a flamboyant dancer he nicknamed that way, a single woman of middle age whom he nicknamed Miss Lonelyheart, a talented pianist, several married couples and a female sculptor. He also observes the life of a traveling jewelry salesman, Lars Thorwald. Jeff noticed that his neighbor, Thorwald, had a confrontation with his wife and could have killed her. He also discovered Thorwald made several trips that night and moved a huge trunk. He also noticed he had buried something in his flower garden and he could have killed his neighbor's dog to prevent it from digging. The discoveries increase the thrill in film and it suggests that Jeff had high voyeurism. He spent all his time analyzing the lives of others. The message is similar to that of Citizen Kane in that when Kane died, he mentioned Rosebud and this remained a mystery to Thompson and others, just like the activities in Thorwald's house. The other similarity is that both Thompson and Jeff show voyeurism. The difference between the two is that Jeff is alive and uses speculations about his neighbors but Kane is dead and the thrill is based on his real life and past experiences. The film ensures that the audience only knows as much as Jeff knows and this maintains the voyeurism theme in the entire film.

In a similar manner, the film 'Citizen Kane' explains the life of Kane from his humble beginning and how he rose to work as a journalist and later into politics. Charles Kane had been born in a humble background and when a goldmine was discovered in their home, Kane's mother sent him away to live with Thatcher. Charles Kane resisted and struck Thatcher with a sled. Later on in life, he started a career in yellow journalism and later on joined politics. His love scandals finished his career in politics due to love affairs and he married Susan. They later divorced and he died a miserable man. All his life, he fought to get loved and the mystery and thrill are on the sled's trade name, Rosebud, which nobody knew about. His childhood deprivation of love led to his miserable life later. The theme of voyeurism can also be seen in the film as it maintains a reserved camera angle which limits the views of the audience. For example, when Kane first meets Susan, they enter into her apartment and the door is closed. The audience is left trying to understand what could be happening inside and this is voyeurism. The film suggests that Thompson had voyeurism as he followed Kane's life and interviewed many of his friends and family. Just like Jeff in Rear Window, Thompson follows up people's lives to determine Kane's life and to solve the imaginations of the mystery in their lives. However, the film is more inclined to the themes of love, wealth, power, innocence and pride. Love is shown through the life of Kane who struggled all his life trying to get love and he uses a lot of money in this struggle. The theme of power is shown in Kane's struggle for governor's seat and his power over Susan whereby he forced her into the operatic career. Innocence is shown by the use of the sled that Charles Kane had when he was young. The theme of pride is shown by the behaviors of Charles Kane who was proud and sometimes this irritated his friends. The film makes it possible to predict the possible outcomes of the actions of the characters but attracts the urge to get to its center to understand it more.

Comparison and Contrast

The two films are related in the way they pass their views to the audience and how they attract the need to understand it more. The main similarity is that voyeurism is evident and the audience is made to have the desire to get interested in the lives of others. The films make it entertaining and thrilling to follow up the lives of Jeff and his neighbors and Kane and Susan to understand the way they end. Obsession and isolation are also evident in both films and this is achieved more by the use of camera angles and restricted narration as mentioned above. The contrast is that Jeff's life attracts more emotional impact than Citizen Kane and Kane's life is complex and sophisticated as compared to that of Jeff. Kane's story is also not as thrilling as that of Jeff and his imaginations about his neighbor. The motives in the Rear Window include voyeurism, sound effects, and music. The voyeurism is shown in the way Jeff follows the lives of others, while Thompson also follows Kane's life in a similar way in Citizen Kane. Sound effects in rear Window can be seen when a woman screams and there is a sound of broken glass. Also, when one of the women in the apartments wanted to kill herself, the music from the talented pianist changed her mind and she went to meet him. The sound effects in Citizen Kane can be seen when the globe falls and smashes on the floor. In Citizen Kane, the background music by Hermann is also clearly used to create an emotional attachment to the film.

Works Cited

Bullerjahn, Claudia. "Facing the Past as Well as the Future: Music and Sound in Hitchcock's Early British Sound Films." Reassessing the Hitchcock Touch. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2017. 21-40.

Kimball, Jean. "Growing Up Together: Joyce and Psychoanalysis, 1900-1922." Joyce through the Ages: A Nonlinear View, edited by Michael Patrick Gillespie, UP of Florida, 1999, pp. 25-45.